The Federal Government is collaborating with the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to harness the mineral resources of the north central region, aiming to boost employment through local mineral processing. Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed the initiative during a meeting with the NCDC management team in Abuja. He revealed that over 300 mineral assets in the region remain underexploited, representing a significant opportunity for economic expansion. The plan focuses on adding value to raw minerals within the region to generate jobs and attract investment. Alake emphasized the government's commitment to transforming the mining sector into a sustainable source of livelihood. The NCDC's involvement is expected to streamline development efforts across the six states in the zone. No timeline or specific funding details were provided during the meeting.
Dele Alake's push to activate 300 underused mineral assets through a partnership with the NCDC is less about geology and more about political engineering in a region long sidelined in national resource conversations. By positioning the north central as a mining frontier, the administration is attempting to recalibrate economic attention toward a geopolitical bloc that has struggled with youth unemployment and infrastructural neglect. The emphasis on processing minerals locally, rather than exporting raw ore, suggests an attempt to break from extractive patterns that have historically benefited foreign firms more than host communities.
The timing is notable—this announcement follows growing unrest in the region over land use and herder-farmer conflicts, where competition over resources often turns violent. Turning to mining as an economic pivot could either ease pressure on agricultural land or deepen tensions if communities feel excluded from the benefits. The absence of a clear roadmap, funding breakdown or community engagement strategy raises doubts about execution. Past mineral initiatives in other regions stalled due to opacity and weak local inclusion.
Ordinary residents, especially youth in Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau and Kwara, stand to gain only if jobs materialize beyond artisanal mining, which remains hazardous and informal. Without skills training and small-scale licensing frameworks, the promise of employment may remain theoretical. This move also fits a broader trend: repackaging regional development through resource nationalism, often heavy on announcement but light on delivery.
